Page 3 of The One
Oh God! This is it.
Time is running out.
I glance toward the aisle, searching for the quickest way out.
But then my eyes land on the one man who’s filled my dreams since I was sixteen. Or should I say haunted them?
Heat rushes to my cheeks, and my heart does that annoying little jump it always does when I see him.
For a second, it seems like he’s looking at me, but I know better.
He’s just taking in the wedding scene.
He doesn’t see me. Never has, never will. I’m not in his league.
It doesn’t stop my heart from racing, though, and I take a deep breath to steady myself.
Unrequited love. It’s the cruelest.
Seeing him is the last straw. The tears I’ve been holding back threaten to break free.
I’m likely to encounter him more often than I do now, expected to be on my husband’s arm for the mandatorylafamigliafunctions.
What a torture that will be.
A loveless, possibly abusive marriage, on top of regular socializing with the one man my heart really beats for.
My life is about to become a living nightmare.
Chapter Two
Mariella
“Uh-huh,” Father Josef pauses, his voice pulling me from my thoughts.
Umm, what?
“Mariella, please face Renaldo,” he says. The stern look on his face tells me he’s repeating himself.
No, no, no! I can’t do this.
Still, somehow my body turns, my hands fisting the soft silk of my dress.
I fix my eyes on Renaldo’s tie. Each second drags on. The pressure in my temples mounts with every passing moment.
My heart races, pounding in my chest. My blood pressure must be off the charts. I try to take a calming breath, but my lungs are locked.
Oh God! I’m choking!
Hyperaware of every sensation, I feel the adrenaline surge through my veins. My fight-or-flight instinct finally kicks in. Everything buzzes.
How do I escape this doom?
Fight or flight?
Perhaps both?
My legs, are they there? I can’t feel them.
